A student designs an experiment using a respirometer to compare the rate of aerobic respiration in two different species of small terrestrial invertebrates: woodlice and beetles.
The student outlines the following procedure:
- The chamber is sealed, and the initial position of the coloured liquid droplet in the capillary tube is recorded.
- The respirometer is left for 15 minutes, and the distance moved by the droplet is measured.
- The experiment is repeated with the second species.
Which of the following variables must be controlled to ensure a valid comparison of their respiration rates?
- The temperature of the chamber throughout the measurement periods.
- The light intensity, by keeping both setups in complete darkness.
- The total biomass of the invertebrates inside the chamber.